


Darling, we’re burning down.

by youngjusticewriter



Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Haruno Sakura, Bitter sakura, F/M, Haruno Sakura Has Issues, Haruno Sakura-centric, Hurt/Comfort, Past food disorder, Protective Haruno Sakura, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura Haruno needs a hug, Time Travel, Tsunade is the best parental figure and Hokage, Uchiha Massacre, Uchiha Sasuke Has Issues, Uchiha Sasuke Needs a Hug, about the truth of the Uchiha Massacre, and that bitterness is well deserved tbh, like slightly bitter, this fic is based off the assumption that Sakura wasn’t told by her teammates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21626173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngjusticewriter/pseuds/youngjusticewriter
Summary: She’s not Naruto though. Naruto was perfectly fine with Sasuke taking missions that kept him out of their village more than he was in it after all the years Naruto had spent to become stronger so that one he may oneday he might bring their run-away teammate back. Even Kakashi for all his speeches of team-mates, loyalty, and what made a person worse than scum was fine with it. Though maybe that shouldn’t be surprising since it was Kakashi.But Sakura wasn’t them - she wasn’t okay with Sasuke leaving yet again; Sakura wasn’t okay with once again being left behind despite the bell test and speeches given in memorial, she was tired - so tired it sat in her bones and hadn’t left despite the years that have gone by - with not being told important things by her own team-mates.Maybe that’s why she gave this a shot with him despite everything. Because Sasuke will tell her the truth - you’re annoying, you’re weak - when others will just think it and not tell her. (How did they expect her to become better if no one told her? If no one taught her better?)
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Tsunade, Haruno Sakura & Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 15
Kudos: 140





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dovey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dovey/gifts).



The sound of crickets were the only thing to be heard. Sasuke had already told her that he was leaving tonight for a mission after all.

Sasuke raised his hand, two fingers (fingers that she’s seen dive into her chest because of a genjutsu he had implanted) were brought together before they went and tapped her forehead. It meant something, Sakura knew because he kept doing it every time he had left. 

And every time she had let him. (There’s so much that Sakura wanted to say that it, the things she wanted to voice, climb on top of each other and Sakura was left trying to sort out what’s most important that she doesn’t say anything at all.) 

She’s not Naruto though. Naruto was perfectly fine with Sasuke taking missions that kept him out of their village more than he was in it after all the years Naruto had spent to become stronger so that one he may oneday he might bring their run-away teammate back. Even Kakashi for all his speeches of team-mates, loyalty, and what made a person worse than scum was fine with it. Though maybe that shouldn’t be surprising since it was Kakashi. 

But Sakura wasn’t them - she wasn’t okay with Sasuke leaving yet again; Sakura wasn’t okay with once again being left behind despite the bell test and speeches given in memorial, she was tired - so tired it sat in her bones and hadn’t left despite the years that have gone by - with not being told important things by her own team-mates. 

Maybe that’s why she gave this a shot with him despite everything. Because Sasuke will tell her the truth - you’re annoying, you’re weak - when others will just think it and not tell her. (How did they expect her to become better if no one told her? If no one taught her better?) 

“Don’t go,” Sakura said and there’s nothing soft or even loud about her voice. There was, however, exhaustion seeped into her tone like infection in an untended wound. Her vision grew blurry as tears rose and Inner was gone so it was just Sakura who cursed in her mind at them because she’s being stupid again, because she’s suppose to be strong and yet here she was crying like she was younger (weaker) self. 

“Why do you keep leaving?” She couldn’t help but ask because no one else would. (Just because the others thought it was okay didn’t mean it was. Sakura of all people knew that.) 

Sasuke watched her and his lips dipped into a frown but even with her vision blurry Sakura knew it wasn’t the one he wore when he was annoyed. 

The crickets kept chirping because that’s what life did: it moved on whether Sakura went with it or did not. 

Sasuke doesn’t say a word because, despite being able to cut with them like they were sharpened weapons, Sasuke has never truly been that great with them nor does he raise his fingers to her forehead. No, instead his pressed his head against her own and the gap between them was closed. 

That night Sasuke left but he wasn’t the only one.


	2. Chapter 2

That day Tsunade had found her in break room where a cup of coffee sat undisturbed, steam long ago having stopped curling in the air above it. 

“Hokag-“ Sakura began because that was what her teacher was when they where not practicing on a training ground; words came to mind but they all falter, they all are overwhelmed from grief (from being inadequate and it costing a girl her life) that was stilling inside of Sakura.

She felt like a cup that was being overfilled. Like she was under water and incapable of finding the surface after the overwhelming experience of having a wave slammed into her. 

She wasn’t clever enough to dive through it nor did she have a power that would keep her afloat. 

No, Sakura could only stand there stupidly and endure. 

And cost someone their lives - there was that too. Even though Sakura’s eyes weren’t closed she could easily conjure the memory of how her fingers had shook when she was the only member of Team Seven left guarding - 

It was only after Tsunade had taken a seat next to Sakura that the older women spoke. “Move the coffee,” she ordered instead of commenting on how Sakura shouldn’t be drinking it. Once Sakura had obeyed her Tsunade had proceed to place an empty glass where the coffee cup had been. It was a glass used for sake.

Her eyebrows had furrowed together then. Tsunade once more kept her uncharacteristic silence as she got up from the chair. Sakura’s eyes followed her teacher as she moved about the hospital break room. There was purpose to be found in Tsunade’s steps. 

They, the steps, stopped when her teacher reached a cabinet. After opening it Tsunade pulled out a bottle and Sakura didn’t need to read the Kanji to know it was sake. Once more Tsunade filled the space next to Sakura and even though she was the Hokage and Sakura’s teacher - even though Sakura had failed today and it had cost someone their life - Tsunade poured some of the alcohol for Sakura. 

The bottle of sake was put on the table with a thud and finally Tsunade broke the silence between them, “Start drinking.” 

“What?” That single word, the question, was a croaked, miserable thing and Sakura hadn’t even realized it had past her lips until she processed hearing the sound. 

“I am terrible at comforting and I should never be a role model,” Tsunade confessed to Sakura and only Sakura; it was only them in that hospital room because Tsunade had ordered the other three nurses out of the room with a retort about them being payed to work here while Sakura had only hours she had to fill. 

There was no upward twitch of Sakura’s lips. It wasn’t funny - true however it indeed was - and honestly this moment she didn’t think herself capable of finding humor in something. 

The sake burned her throat when Sakura tipped the cup back, allowing the liquid to hit the back of her throat, and forced herself to shallow it. 

“But I’m all you got kid.“ A moment and then, “Hatake is a spineless hypocrite though perhaps I am too. The thing is - about Hatake not on me - he’s too good to just waste on training one kid when I can have him back on ANBU like he requested,” there was no guilt to be found in Tsunade’s voice as she confessed this; of course not. Tsunade had to put the duty of Hokage before her own personal feelings. Not only that but it was true. Sakura would have- 

“It wouldn’t just be waste of his potential though. You would and were wasted on him.” Once more Tsunade’s painted nails wrapped around the bottle of sake and she adopted silence as she unscrewed the lid. Liquid hit and filled the empty glass Sakura had put down a minute ago. 

“You’re good. I’m not only just referring for your acute control of your chakra. You’re smart and dedicated when you don’t have your head in your ass. You had your head in your ass for that Uchiha teammate of yours and I’m going to tell you something no one else will ever tell and I want you to remember it - I want you to hold onto the memory to the point if it was physical your knuckles would be white from how hard your grip is. Naruto had his head up his ass for you and trying to one up that Uchiha boy. The thing is he is from a clan.” 

And for the first time since Tsunade began talking there was a visible reaction on Sakura’s expression. Her other teammate was from a clan? How come- 

“He has a natural disposition over you in more ways than you know because of his parentage. Naruto also was born a boy.” There was pause then as Tsunade gave Sakura time to sort out the information she had been given. “You’re smart - give me at least two reasons why every squad has two males and only one female.” Tsunade’s tone was bitting but despite everything that had happened that day Sakura knew it wasn’t Sakura her teacher was angry at. 

“...Girls are seen as emotionally mature so we’re there to balance out our teammates,” was the first reason Sakura dared to air.

There was approval to be found in Tsunade’s brown eyes and so Sakura found courage to continue. 

“We’re seen as weaker, as lesser, so even if we get something right over the boys than it just makes them want to improve or call it stupid.” As Sakura spoke these words why Tsunade had asked this instead of bringing up what surely had brought Tsunade out of the Hokage Tower: the death on Sakura’s table. 

“Can you give me another reason?” Tsunade prodded and Sakura felt like a mouse being played with before her head was bitten off. 

“To foster rivalry between the teammates and therefore advance the boys’ education and likelihood to survive,” Sakura admitted in a soft voice as though this was a secret instead of fear that long had sprouted inside of Sakura’s mind; in that moment she couldn’t help but think of Sasuke even though she knew she shouldn’t be - she should be keeping her head out of her ass after all - and how he had called Sakura weak. It had been the truth which was more than most would give her. 

It had been - 

“Drink,” and though Tsunade didn’t say she was right Sakura knew she was. Some things didn’t need to be voiced and if Sakura couldn’t hear those things none the less know that than she wasn’t worthy of her position of being a student.

A finger with black nail polish that covered the entirety of the nail tapped on the table as sake once more burned Sakura’s throat. 

“There is nothing wrong with having romantic feelings for someone,” Tsunade began and Sakura couldn’t help but interrupt. 

“Someone?” She couldn’t help but repeat. Shouldn’t it be boy or even guy? 

Tsunade took a breath in. “Sometimes people aren’t attracted only to the opposite gender, sometimes people are only are attracted to the same gender, or they’re just not attracted to someone. There’s nothing wrong with that and if anyone ever tells you otherwise you get them back by what I teach on the training field. Or, if they’re important, get them back by the other things I teach you.” 

And even if though Sakura wasn’t like that - or least she didn’t think she was - Sakura couldn’t help but ask, “What if it’s someone I personally know?” Sakura then elaborated. “Someone I care for.” 

There was something in Tsunade’s eyes then. “It’ll hurt no matter if you someday eventually get them to see that it’s okay or if they never do.” Was the painful but honest answer the older woman gave instead of lying to Sakura and Sakura was thankful for the answer no matter how painful it was. “The thing is you’ll have to remember that it is on them not you.” A hand was raised then and Tsunade waved it to dismiss the subject; they had gotten off course and there was only so long Sakura’s teacher could stay after all. 

“There’s nothing wrong with having a crush or eventually falling in love.” Tsunade told her and she was the first person to tell Sakura that. “The thing that determines whether it is wrong is not is how you act on it. If someone says, no, they don’t return those feelings then you respect that, if you have a crush don’t let it keep your head in your ass because in this life it’s easy to die - don’t even let me get started on that wrongly classified wave mission - and you already have the odds stacked against you. ...And it’s also how you pick yourself up from having your heart destroyed.” Something had slipped in Tsunade’s voice at that last sentence. 

A hand reached for the glass cup Sakura had put down a minute ago and this time Tsunade poured for herself. It was only after she had a glass of sake that Sakura’s teacher finally spoke on the topic Sakura knew was coming. “Today won’t be the last time someone dies on your table and today won’t be the last time you have your heart broken.” 

Seconds passed without words because Tsunade wanted Sakura to dwell on those words. She wanted Sakura to choose if she still wanted the path of medic-nin.

“It’s inevitable and you have to decide if you can live with that. If you are capable of realizing that what matters is continuing your duty no matter how much blood stains your hands. Are you capable of recognizing what matters: that you have to save as many as you can even after having lost so many that they haunt your dreams?” 

There was no smile on Sakura’s lips. (Why would there have been?) Sakura raised her chin though and looked her teacher in her eyes. With breath that wafted of sake she answered. 

[\\] 

Sakura’s eyes fluttered open and the ceiling and wall color that greeted her was not the same of the of the inn bedroom she had fallen asleep in. Still Sakura recognized it. 

“Kai,” she whispered because her old bedroom had been destroyed years ago during the invasion. 

The illusion did not melt away before her eyes but rather stayed adamantly. 

The next thing she whispered was, “Sasuke?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *hasn’t updated any of my (mostly Sakura centric) Naruto fics since last year.* 
> 
> Me earlier today: *comes across anti-Sakura on tumblr.*
> 
> Me: *proceeds to get the inspiration to write this instead of starting a pointless fight on tumblr (because people are allowed their opinions even if said opinions about my favorite character make me want to bang my head)* 
> 
> I will explore more of the time travel and Sakura and Sasuke’s relationship becoming healthier next chapter. Yes, before anybody asks he did come back with her. (Hiruzen and Danzo have no idea what’s coming for them once Sasuke informs Sakura on events he thought she already knew.) 
> 
> Besides my obvious love for Tsunade and Sakura bonding the memory (Tsunade asking if Sakura is capable of continuing her duty even with the loss that comes with being in the medical profession) will be important later on. 
> 
> If you have time I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts on this chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t actually ship this pairing (I’m not against anyone who ships it and I actually a few bookmarks of the pairing but I don’t really ship it) but I also have been wanting to write it for sometime. This story isn’t going to be very plot centric but rather it is about relationships and, no, not just romantics ones. However knowing me that may one day change and I’ll let you know. 
> 
> Okay, onto my characterization of Sakura and an other thing: 
> 
> * Girls are taught from a young age that a boy is mean to you then it means he likes you. I’m going to imagine this factored into her crush with Sasuke. (That and the fact Kakashi never sat down with BOTH Sakura and Naruto on the fact having a crush is not wrong but how you act on it is what can be.) 
> 
> * I hate the trend where women have to be stone cold to be “good” strong female characters. Let women cry. Let them think they’re weak for it only to one day realize it’s not weak to cry. Let them rage too. Let their emotions not be played as a joke or that of a insane person’s. 
> 
> * I’m not bashing Sasuke (Calling out some stuff? Yes, absolutely but I actually like Sasuke too.) I will have Sakura learn why he acts the way he does (Did Kakashi and Naruto ever tell Sakura about the truth of the Uchiha Massacre? I highly doubt it because they never told her who Itachi was until the three of them and Chiyo ran into Itachi even though that is really important information.) and have Sasuke realize Sakura didn’t know about Itachi like their teammates do along with some other realizations. 
> 
> * Sakura has been left behind by her teammates. She’s been told she isn’t worth training even though she defeated an Akatsuki (aka a renowned missing-nin) member. Sakura has issues (like she rightfully should) in this fic because of these things and this is something I’m going to play around with. Sasuke also has issues and you’ll have to wait and see on them. 
> 
> * The headpoking thing is romanticized. Yes, it means that the person poking the other person loves them but it also came from the fact Itachi couldn’t/wouldn’t make time for his brother despite the love he had for Sasuke. 
> 
> This fic is a gift to Dovey who is one of my favorite authors on here. I’ve been meaning to make a gift fic for you for sometime but I’m just now getting to it. I truly do hope you enjoy this.


End file.
